


And a Cup of Cocoa

by Mystrana



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Fluffy, Hot Cocoa, Ice Skating, M/M, Sledding, Snow forts, Snow games, kind of domesticity, snow fights, so much hot cocoa, sweet simple moments, the ways Andrew Minyard shows his love for Neil Josten, warm and happy and nothing hurts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:15:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28208175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystrana/pseuds/Mystrana
Summary: While Nicky is determined to help his cousins and Neil enjoy the snow, Andrew is busy trying to find the perfect cup of hot chocolate for Neil.Written for the prompt "winter/snow games" for the 2020 AFTG Winter Jam
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 12
Kudos: 110
Collections: #AFTGWinterJam 2020





	And a Cup of Cocoa

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, Coop, for the suggestion! I loved taking your idea and running with it.

Snow was pretty enough to look at, sure, Neil thought as he stood outside with Aaron, Andrew, and Nicky, but it was also really cold. They’d come outside at Nicky’s insistence, bundled in coats and scarves and hats and mittens. 

Now, Nicky stood before them like he was about to make a grand declaration. "Let's have a snowball fight!" Nicky gestured to the mounds of snow around them. "Not to brag, but I was kind of crowned snowball fight champion during my time in Germany."

"Doesn't count if Erik was the one crowning you," Aaron said automatically.

At the same time, Andrew scooped up a handful of snow and flung it in Nicky's direction. Nicky dodged out of the way, compacting a handful of snow and heaving it at Andrew. The snowball grazed the side of Andrew's black hat and continued on harmlessly to disappear into the snowbank behind them.

"Hold on! We have to make teams!" 

Andrew scooped up more snow, following Nicky's example and forming a rough ball. He chucked it at Nicky's head with precision and power.

Nicky ducked.

Only to be full on tackled by Aaron, who hit low, and knocked Nicky off his feet. They slammed into the snow, Nicky recovering quick enough to use his height advantage to roll Aaron off of him and deeper into the snow.

Neil laughed, only noticing the ominous blur of black behind him when it was too late; Andrew hefted a snowball the size of his head  _ at _ his head. The initial impact was simultaneously soft and solid. A cold wetness slipped under his coat collar, wretching a shiver down his back, and snowflakes glittered in Neil's eyes. He tried to wipe them away, but the crunch of boots on the snow somewhere near him necessitated a change in plans. 

He ducked blindly, and another piece of snow slid down his back from an unknown assailant. “So not fair!”

“I tried to make teams,” Nicky said. “Blame the twins!”

“Which one?” Neil grumbled, but he scooped up some snow and tossed it in the general direction of the voices, and Aaron made an affronted noise, so he assumed he had gotten  _ someone. _

The next hour passed in a blur of icy cold snow. By the time they had been forced to call a truce on each other, the snow on the ground was packed tight from their running, and divots had been dug wherever they could get their gloves.

“Alright, alright,” Nicky said, sitting down in the snow and laughing. “It’s time for the next tradition. Hot chocolate.”

Nicky led the way into the house and shooed them all like a mother hen to put on dry clothes. By the time Neil got back downstairs, Nicky had pulled down four mugs and filled them with steaming hot chocolate. Aaron and Andrew took theirs, each offering a nod of thanks at Nicky, who beamed at their quiet acknowledgement.

“I don’t drink hot chocolate,” Neil said after a moment. He didn’t want Nicky to feel bad, so he added, “It smells nice though.”

If Neil noticed Andrew’s even stare on his back, he didn’t act like it. That night, they all slept soundly thanks to the physical activity of the afternoon. When Neil woke up the next morning, he realized Andrew wasn’t in the bed. 

On the nightstand, there was a cup of hot chocolate, still steaming warm. Neil looked left. He looked right. Andrew was nowhere to be seen, but it wasn’t like Nicky was going to sneak warm beverages into their room overnight. 

Aaron might, but only if it was seasoned with a healthy dose of poison. 

Neil sighed. “I really don’t like hot chocolate,” he said to the room, as if Andrew could hear him. Still, if Andrew had gone through the trouble, he could take a sip to confirm it. Neil tasted notes of nutmeg? Ginger? Maybe it was cardamon? It wasn’t like he’d had a chance to take a home ec class while on the run.

It was interesting, but it was still hot chocolate, and it was still too sweet. Neil brought the cup down to the sink to dump out the rest and rinse the cup. Andrew was in the kitchen, eating cereal. When he saw Neil’s full cup, he reached out and took it, drinking the rest.

“I didn’t like it,” Neil said.

Andrew shrugged.

Nicky took them sledding that afternoon on a rocky hill that had just enough snow to make it fun and just enough ice to make it dangerous. Neil didn’t quite get the point of it, but sliding downhill at ridiculously fast speeds didn’t really need a point. Nicky told them about the time he and Erik went sledding down a hill, unable to stop until they’d crested the snowbank and landed on the middle of the road.

They all went home with more bruises than they started with.

The next morning, Neil found two ibuprofen and a cup of hot chocolate on the nightstand. This cup had the distinct smell of peppermint. 

“Andrew,” Neil said, downstairs in the kitchen. “I don’t like hot chocolate. It’s too sweet.”

Andrew took the cup. He didn’t break his gaze on Neil as he drank the rest of the hot chocolate. He licked the foam off his upper lip, and Neil  _ felt _ things.

Nicky’s grand adventure for the day was ice skating. Somehow, he’d managed to find a bunch of ice skates and a good old fashioned pond, frozen over with thick ice.

“Picture this,” Neil said, as he wobbled across the ice on skates a half size too big for him. “Exy. But on ice.” He tried to propel himself forward, and fell on his bottom.

“I’d rather not,” Andrew said. He tapped his skate on the ice, tentative, before trying out a little jump. 

“Let me guess, Nicky,” Aaron said as he tried to remember his childhood skating lessons and managed to skate a few steps backward. “Erik crowned you king of the ice ring too.”

“How did you know?” Nicky asked, his smile bright and his cheeks red. 

The next morning, the cup of hot chocolate on the nightstand was pale, almost as if it was just warmed milk. Neil sipped tentatively, unsure what to expect, while fresh white snow fell outside.

“White chocolate,” Neil said as he handed the cup to Andrew downstairs. “Interesting. Still not a fan.”

Andrew just shrugged and enjoyed the rest. 

Neil couldn’t help a little smile.

They made a snow fort out of the new snow, Nicky directing their efforts and insisting they weren’t done until it was taller than  _ he _ was. Somehow, it devolved into another giant snowball fight, but this time Neil was prepared. When Andrew tried to jam snow down his back, he twisted around.

Not fast enough.

Andrew’s snowball ended up on Neil’s chest, dripping underneath his jacket down his stomach. 

Aaron and Nicky had taken down the west wall in their battle. The rest of the fort crumbled not too much later, leaving little mounds of snow to commemorate their efforts.

The next morning, the cup of hot chocolate on the nightstand had a noticeable fruity smell. Neil’s tentative taste revealed raspberry. And sweet, too sweet. 

“Good try,” Neil said to Andrew. He passed the cup over. “For what it’s worth, I do like raspberries.”

That afternoon, Nicky declared it too cold to go outside, and they all stayed inside and watched movies in the den. Neil curled up against Andrew’s side. He swore he could smell raspberries on Andrew’s hair.

When Neil woke up the next morning, he realized he’d gotten up sooner than usual. Andrew had already left the bed, but the indent of his body was still warm. Neil sat up and stretched, when he heard the creak of the stairs. A few moments later, Andrew came into the room, a cup of hot chocolate in hand.

“I knew it was you,” Neil teased. 

Andrew handed him the cup. 

“You know I don’t like hot chocolate,” Neil said, taking the cup. The liquid was a deep, dark brown, almost as black as coffee.

Neil took a tiny sip. “Oh,” he said, looking into the cup. He tried another sip. It was warm, and almost pleasantly bitter. “Does this even count?”

No one could miss the gleam in Andrew’s eyes. “There’s milk, and there’s 92% dark cocoa.”

“It counts,” Neil declared, after another sip. “You win. So, what’s your prize, anyhow?”

Andrew’s grin was devilish. “Oh, look,” he said, as he took the cup from Neil and put it down. “You’ve got some chocolate on your lips. Let me help you with that.”

They spent the morning in bed, and the afternoon sharing another perfect cup of cocoa.


End file.
